Whatcom Waterway

Last Updated: July 2023

Información en español

Phase 2 Areas Engineering Design Underway

Read Response to Comments

Ecology held a 30-day comment period (April 24 - May 23, 2023) for review of an amendment to the existing Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) for the in-water Whatcom Waterway Site (Site) on the Bellingham waterfront. 

The CAP amendment is part of a legal agreement between Ecology, the Port of Bellingham (Port), the City of Bellingham (City), and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Ecology has also updated and now finalized the Public Participation Plan for the Site which was available for review. This removes the Public Participation Plan as an exhibit to the legal agreement and makes it a standalone document. 

What happens next?
Ecology has reviewed and considered the public comments received on the documents and no edits to the documents are necessary.  Ecology is finalizing the documents.

In fall 2023, construction of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal dredging project will begin with completion scheduled by spring 2024. 

Engineering design of the cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas will start in 2023. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed by 2028.

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps (see graphic below) over a variable timeline.

• April 24 – May 23, 2023:  Public comment period
• May 3, 2023:  Walking Tour (hosted by RE Sources) with virtual Tour video; Open House (hosted by Ecology)
• July 2023: Public comments addressed and amendment finalized
• Fall 2023: Begin construction of BST dredging project
• Spring 2024: Complete construction of BST dredging project
• 2023 – 2025: Complete engineering design of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas
• 2025: Begin construction of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas  
• 2028: Complete construction of cleanup action for remaining Phase 2 Site Areas

Current Whatcom Waterway Public Participation Plan

This plan includes information for the public regarding opportunities to get involved in the cleanup process. The outreach activities and mechanisms presented reflect Ecology’s current plans for keeping the public informed and for receiving information and comments from the public.

Portions of the Site have been cleaned up and remaining areas are in the cleanup action plan/engineering step of the formal cleanup process shown above.  

Log Pond Area
In November 2000, Georgia-Pacific, with Ecology oversight, began construction activities to address contaminated sediment within the Log Pond area of the Site. The work, completed in February 2001, placed about 43,000 cubic yards of clean material over an area of about 5.6 acres to isolate contaminated sediment and restore habitat.

To ensure the completed cleanup protects human health and the environment in the long term, scientists are conducting physical, chemical, and biological monitoring.  Monitoring results led to the placement of additional material in select shoreline areas of the Log Pond to prevent erosion as part of the cleanup of Phase 1 Site Areas described below.  

Phase 1 Site Areas
In July 2015, the Port of Bellingham, with Ecology oversight, began construction activities to address contaminated sediment within Phase 1 Site Areas. The work was completed in 2016 and included:

• Removing 111,446 cubic yards of contaminated sediment
• Removing 9,962 tons of soil and 265 tons of creosote-treated timber
• Removing 5,146 tons of concrete and asphalt rubble (over 98% was reused or recycled)
• Isolating contaminated sediment with 102,950 cubic yards of clean material
• Installing 36,600 square feet of sheet pile walls on the north side of the waterway to support the upland and prevent contaminated groundwater from entering the waterway

To ensure the completed cleanup protects human health and the environment in the long term, scientists are conducting physical, chemical, and biological monitoring.

Monitored Natural Recovery Areas
Monitoring of the completed cleanup of Phase 1 Site Areas also includes chemical monitoring of natural recovery areas to ensure that contaminated sediment isolated by clean material (due to natural processes) remains isolated.

Phase 2 Site Areas
In 2023, Ecology is amending the existing Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) for Phase 2 Site Areas. The CAP amendment is part of a legal agreement between Ecology, the Port, the City, and the DNR.
 The CAP amendment:

• sequences design and construction activities to prioritize early cleanup at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal (BST).
• documents a possible future change to the cleanup action at the head of the Whatcom Waterway to provide habitat benefit.
• revises the cleanup action for the Aerated Stabilization Basin (ASB), including dredged material disposal, due to changes in land use plans.
• adds a cleanup standard for dioxin and furan compounds due to regulatory changes.

Background
The over 700 acre Site is located within Bellingham Bay south of the Holly Street bridge in Bellingham, Washington.  Most of the Site is owned by the State of Washington. 

The cleanup of the Log Pond Area (6 acres) was completed in 2001, and Phase 1 Site Areas (18 acres) was completed in 2016. Monitoring of these areas and natural recovery areas (636 acres) continues. The cleanup of Phase 2 Site Areas (71 acres) remains to be performed. 

The Site is one of 12 Bellingham Bay cleanup sites coordinated through the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot.  The Pilot is a bay-wide multi-agency effort to clean up contamination, control pollution sources and restore habitat, with consideration for land and water uses. In 2000, participants in this initiative developed the Bellingham Bay Comprehensive Strategy.


Contamination
The Site includes in-water sediment impacted by contaminants released from past industrial waterfront activities, including discharges from the former Georgia-Pacific chlor-alkali plant, wood waste and degradation products from historic log rafting activities, and pulp mill wastewater discharges.  

As a result of these past industrial activities, studies conducted as part of the cleanup process have shown mercury, 4-methyphenol, and dioxin/furan compounds in sediment at concentrations that exceed the requirements of the state’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and must be addressed.

En español

El Departamento de Ecología le invita a revisor los documentos para el sitio que está contaminado Whatcom Waterway en Bellingham.  

Si le gustaría recibir este documento en español, por favor llame a 425-240-4353 y espere a que un intérprete se una a la llamada o envíe un correo electrónico a preguntas@ecy.wa.gov. Traducciones de avisos públicos para los sitios de limpieza de la Bahía de Bellingham se preparan bajo solicitud.